vortech supercharger & clutch & cooling?
 

alright so i'm hearing that you need to worry about coolant temps, oil temps, and need a 6 puck clutch to have the vortech because the stock will run out in a month. true? input on all of this please.

Who is saying that/ where are you hearing that?

someone that happens to know someone..apparently he says he needs a 6 puck clutch because it burnt through oe in a month and he needed to upgrade water cooling and needed an oil cooler annnnnd even said its not good for daily driving.

The only thing I can say is a 6 puck is overkill, there are daily driver friendly alternatives that are way better than a 6 puck clutch.

This is going to depend alot on how you drive the car, there a quite a few people on here with the vortech kit some with higher psi versions without any of these problems.

If your going to do heavy/hard track work you might need a oil cooler or at least get one to be safe.

Clutch is going to depend on how you drive it, the vortech kits dont have alot of torque so you should not have any problems for a long time. You could get one at the same time as a lightweight flywheel to be safe, though there are alot of diff types and some might be more friendly for DD

my thoughts exactly. i didn't think this is a true statement because why would vortech even release something like that and not mention it. i haven't heard of such thing so far either. visconti didn't mention such a thing either and he is really on top of his shit.

the clutch deal i can understand about the driving deal. i don't drive like a bat out of hell but do give it some love at times but that's just a simple pull from a rolling in like third.

i'm not going to be tracking the car btw. just daily with some spirited driving when i feel like opening it up some.

what do you guys think?

I'd say eventually you will need a clutch, but it will definitely not be right away, and most definitely it will never be a 6 puck.

I love 6 pluck's makes traffic easier!

I'd recommend an oil cooler, but for sure it will run fine on the stock coolant system and clutch.

If the clutch dies, replace it with a stage 1 or stage 2 clutch and you'll be fine!

oil cooling for even basic daily driving? i wont be tracking this car.maybe some pulls or couple corners but nothing crazy

Agree 100%
I'm not in a hurry to replace mine, and it drives fine 90% but when I am pushing it past 9/10, you do smell a lil clutch if I am not gentle on the shifts, but I'm modded. Burn a clutch in a month? really?

Just a lil smell. No, not the end of the day, but I dont know that its a pre-requisite, nor is an oil cooler, but nice to have if you plan to run it hard and want to enjoy lower oil temps. I will keep you all posted on my clutch.

I have no need to replace my radiator, you can bolt the SC on stock and go, no ill happens.

Yes, with the S/C a lot more stress is put on the engine with a lot more load.

What does the oil of the kit have to do with the oil in the motor?

6 puck disc is fine with the RIGHT COVER. E.g. not one that comes in a kit. Try the OEM cover.

thanks for the awesome input guys. nice dyno graph btw. i like those numbers. i usually don't push hard and go easy on shifting but i will admit that i will like to pull from third and take some turns .that's about it.


ah yes the oil issue. hmm something to think about ,i appreciate the heads up.

vortech is saying it's meant to be run on a stock motor. bolt up and go. they have their frs they have been smashing on a dyno and is driven and has put on about 2k on it and no issues at all on stock everything.


all this info is fantastic guys. i really appreciate it.

1st, I dont know what the official word is, but as someone who doesnt sell these but owns one...

Well ok so let me clarify, as much as I am a fan of the oil cooler Perrin sells and as much as I agree with their posts you should buy it/benefit cooler oil, look, I drove my stg2 Vortech kit back from CA to AZ no oil cooler no problems, and drove it around that way a bunch and beat on it too... can you run it like that for a 'minute', sure.

If youre short the $$$ for the oil cooler its not cause to not get the kit. I wouldnt suggest tracking it like that, but for the daily non beat drive, its not like its gonna overheat without it and blow your stuff up.

can the oil cooler be added later? sure
is it easier to do all at once? yup

Ideally, yes, you want the oil cooler as part of your FI kit. But I dont think it should be said you NEED it to even get started with this FI kit.

Vortech returned my stg2 car to me without the oil cooler installed, fwiw
I'm rocking away with my OE fuel, clutch, radiator, etc.

Stuff I am modding at this point is so I can track the car, not for DD

perfect!

lol i never said its not good for daily driving... i stated that i recommend the 6 puck clutch if you plan on driving aggressively and if you drive in a lot of traffic i do not recommend that clutch for daily driving...

but yes the stock clutch is garbage and you should at least upgrade to an act street puck.

I apologize for that. Had a miscommunication with Jeff!

thank you for the clarification. i was told by SOMEONE here at my shop that its NEEDED and even for daily its NEEDS it. so definitely was the person conveying the message to me that did not mention the little details such as driving aggressively.

Again, I've got a few thousand miles now on the OE clutch at the 240whp power level. Is the stock clutch absolute crap. Yes. Can you get by with it till you have loot? I hope so!

i like to actually slide my car from time to time and i prefer clutch kit initiations.. stock clutch HATES the supercharger with clutch kicking so i e brake initiate now.

i drive my cars extremely aggressively. i NEED it, the stock clutch is garbage however you look at it. i am going to be going to a sprung 6 puck in the next couple months and a 2 way diff to really make car aggressive.

dang that's awesome!! thanks for the input man and clarification. btw your car is sick as fuck

thanks again man! when it craps i'll go with a stage 1 or 2

what 2 way diff? can you elaborate please? thanks!

i am going to run the kaaz 2 way!!!! :D

http://www.kaazusa.com/contact2.html

i am going to be marketing the unit for ray (the owner), drop my name there... i think he got a new shipment in from japan...

they also rebuild diffs and he rebuilt the cusco diff on my 240 (the previous owner had it done) and its a BEAST!!!!

their fluid is also top notch. he is an enthusiast at heart and happy to answer any questions about his product.

Ray still in country? I thought he went off to Japan earlier this year. Send him my best, he knows us very well. :)


Bob @ Drift-Office, LLC

Question. What would be a good clutch to get that isn't too performance oriented and can be easily used for DD?

*Never mind. Found an answer*

@staycrushing what clutch are you on?

he just got a new location! and will do! :)

act street disc plus hd pressure plate and streetlite flywheel... ultimate street st up.... perfect clutch feel.

if you want something more aggressive go with the sprung 6 puck, anything after that good luck... itll hold the power but its gonna be a leg workout and a light switch.

I drove the FX400 today, not bad, but I'd prefer something not as agressive to modulate, so I think I want the beefiest disc option, without going to a puck style/adding that much chatter. Do you know what the TQ ratings are on the ACT you have?Thanks!

I called Clutchmasters the other day to get specifically the dfferences between FX 300, 350 and 400. He recommended me the FX 300 (I don't plan on going over 300 WTQ). After this review from you, I will probably go FX350.

I think was already sufficiently addressed here, but just to be clear:

1) You will not have to worry about coolant temps or oil temps with the Vortech Supercharging System. Not on the street, not on the track, not in heavy traffic, not at all. Any benefit from an aftermarket oil cooler setup would be the same benefit gained on a non-boosted setup, completely aside from the supercharger being there.

2) Clutch is all in how you drive. The factory clutch in these cars is not a hero clutch by any means. If you drive it hard and abuse it, it will wear. However, by no means will you have to buy a clutch at the same time as the Vortech system out of pure necessity. Those guys that like to drive sideways do have a tendency to wear parts out quicker though...so keep that in mind. ;)

right fx350 for you and me both! No rush, my OE is 'fine', but I'd like a bit more grabbyness, I'm a few % of loosing propulsion power, and its due to the OE clutch slipping ever so slightly with EACH engagement.

Pushing 250+ whp and 2000+ miles, I am still 'fine' on the oe clutch, as i dont drive sideways!

FX350 here...didn't want to go any harsher since my car is a daily driver. Held 340 ish WTQ no problem.

I am studying what to do with my Vortech supercharged BRZ. Today I tracked it and it only took me 4 mins to get the oil temp to 126c. So I do not understand the part of no worry. Is there something wrong with my car?

That's pretty high after 4 minutes. What was the ambient air temperature?

I think that is pretty standard regardless of if you are forced induction or not. While the supercharger itself might not generate heat like a turbo, you still have an intercooler blocking the radiator and higher coolant temps which will lead to higher oil temps.